People who are deaf and hard of hearing will be able to train to be primary teachers this year through a historic new Irish Sign Language (ISL) course at Dublin City University.
Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh will formally launch the undergraduate programme today (Thursday).
The new B.Ed. (Irish Sign Language) is the first programme of its kind in the history of the State. Applications are now invited through the current CAO process, with a February 1st 2019 closing date.
Minister McHugh said: “This new degree programme route for people who are deaf and hard of hearing to become teachers is a hugely important step towards ensuring increased access and inclusion for all in the classroom.
“It will enable deaf children who use Irish Sign Language in primary school to fully access the curriculum by having teachers who are fluent ISL users.
“I want to thank DCU’s Institute of Education. It is an historic development. It will open the door to a world of teaching both for young people who use Irish Sign Language but also for people who want to teach through sign.”
The new pathway into the B.Ed. is being introduced initially on a pilot basis from September with six places available, with subsequent intakes of students scheduled for September 2023 onwards. The four-year, full-time undergraduate course also includes a 30-week school placement.
The existing pre-requisite for Leaving Certificate higher-level Irish is being replaced with an entry requirement at a similar level in Irish Sign Language.
While entry to the course is exclusively for members of the Deaf Community who wish to become primary school teachers working in the deaf education sector, core modules will be delivered along with hearing peers in the B.Ed programme, while modules specific to deaf education will be delivered as a specialism.
Some deaf education-specific modules will be made available as electives to hearing student-teachers.
Tags: